Promises of a Stranger
by Venus Smurf
Summary: Very AU. In a universe where senshi fights senshi and everybody has a secret, it's all up to Minako...MinaMalRayeJed
1. Chapter 1

A.N.: This is not a new fic. I started it under the highly uncreative title of "Sorceress Series: Raye and Minako"—heaven only knows what I was thinking—butchered my plot for a few wordy chapters, and then went away for nearly two years. When I came back and reread my poor, abused story, I realized just how awful it was. Of course, being me, the edited version got away from me just as much as the original had! Hope nobody hates it, and I hope nobody who read it before gets too mad at me for completely changing it. If anybody really cares, I'll probably leave the old story up for a while. It's different enough that I think I can get away with it.

And it really will pick up soon. It's a slow beginning, but stay with me!

Oh, and I'm looking for some poor masochist to be my beta. I can't seem to get a hold of the old ones (Sailor V-babe and Lightspeed Sazuka—_where are you when I need you?_), and heaven knows how much I need an editor! Email me if you're willing (and crazy)!

October 2006

Venus Smurf

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"**Promises of a Stranger" **

Chapter One

The clash of steel on steel echoed through the clearing, followed quickly by a cry of pure, almost inhuman rage. The strength of this cry sent entire flocks of rust-colored birds fleeing the dubious safety of their trees, their panicked calls quickly fading as they took to the skies. Neither of the two combatants noticed; every ounce of concentration was already bent on each other, on each other's weapons and movements and expressions. They certainly couldn't spare anything for the birds.

With another, slightly more subdued cry, the big, rather shaggy man in the center of the field charged. He swung his sword with wild force, knowing that even the slender, golden girl facing him lacked the strength to counter the downward momentum of his weapon. His lips twisted in a triumphant grin as the girl's eyes widened, as she made no move to bring her own sword up to block the blow...

...and the sword swished through the now-empty space to embed itself in the soft dirt of the otherwise vacant field. The man blinked, nearly losing his balance as his weapon failed to make contact with the slender girl's body and instead pulled him down towards the earth. He was too well trained not to recover quickly, however, and he immediately yanked the weapon free, spinning to locate the elusive young woman he'd just tried so unsuccessfully to skewer.

She was standing a few feet behind him, feet planted as firmly in place as if she'd been there all along, sword gripped tightly in her deceptively delicate hands. Her smile was slightly wicked, and it only became more so as she took in her foe's confused expression.

He scowled. Gods, how he sometimes hated her…

Anger surged in him once again, and he charged at her as forcefully as though he hadn't already done this once before. He pushed his body a little farther than he had, though, made himself a little faster, hoping he'd take her by surprise and finish this once and for all.

She watched him come, and her calm expression did not alter. Too late, he realized that his ploy hadn't even remotely worked. She was far too serene for someone about to be run through with a sword, and, maddeningly, she hadn't so much as braced herself. Her eyes had taken on a decidedly mischievous glint, though, and he just _knew _she was going to do something sneaky and underhanded, something that would leave him humiliated and defeated. Still, even knowing that, he'd already committed too much of himself to this charge. He _couldn't _stop the impetus of his heavily muscled body, even though the move would probably cost him the fight.

_Did _cost him the fight.

She didn't move until the last second, right before the point of his sword made contact with her porcelain skin. Then, with a casualness that revealed the true extent of her training, she brought her sword up, tapping it almost gently against his. That simple action deflected his blade, tossing it into the air with a force that he could not control.

As he tried in vain to regain mastery of his weapon, the girl kicked him viciously in the knees. He howled with pain, letting his weapon fall to the earth as he clutched at his abused kneecaps. The girl used his momentary inattention to drop to the ground, sweeping a quick foot out to knock him off his own feet. He fell, still yelping with pain and outrage as he landed, hard, on his stomach. His face hit the dirt, sending an additional lance of pain through his temple, but he only lay still, giving himself the chance to recover his breath before meeting his fate. The knowledge that he was lost and at the mercy of this pale girl-child was only reinforced as the sharp tip of her double-edged sword pressed against the back of his neck.

He groaned but kept his face to the earth in an unnecessary show of submission. "You win, damn you," he said, trying without much success to keep the frustration from his tone. Then, because that just wasn't enough for him, he added, "I really hate you, you know."

The girl's shook her head in a motion that was both quick and careless. "You _adore _me," she countered, her musical voice tinged with amusement. "You're just mad because I made you eat dirt. _Again_." She gave a golden little laugh, and his throat was suddenly free of that uncomfortably sharp metal.

How had he thought that he only _sometimes _hated her? _She's evil. Pure, unadulterated evil. There's no other explanation._

He rolled over onto his back, staring up at her serenely lovely features, irritated all over again at the unabashed humor in her gaze. The glare died only a little as she laughingly helped him to his feet, as he rubbed ruefully at his sore neck, but then he sighed and let his anger go, too good-natured himself to hold a grudge for long. "I thought I had you that time, Minako," he told her.

The girl only smiled.

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They took their time returning to the camp; he was hurting in far too many places to want to hurry, and Minako seemed content to amble along at his side. They said little, at least once Minako finished telling him what he'd done wrong. She had plenty of advice, as she always did, but she was so matter-of-fact about it all that it never occurred to him to get offended. He only listened quietly, taking her words apart in his mind, memorizing and applying. _Don't throw so much of your weight into your swings—any opponent with half a brain will just use it against you. Stop thrashing around so much—hoard your energy as a miser does his gold, and you'll last longer. _Never _lose your weapon. A dropped blade automatically becomes the enemy's, and it _will _be used against you. And for heaven's sake, Jed, stop trying to turn me into a pincushion! It's annoying as hell. _

Sometimes he wondered why she put up with him. He felt like—_was_—such a novice compared to Minako, and he was always half-afraid that one day she'd realize how fruitless this was and just leave. Even if he spent ten lifetimes learning, he didn't think he could ever reach her level. Then again, she was usually the first to remind him that he was still new to her lessons, that he shouldn't expect miracles until he'd been at this for a lot longer than the few months she'd been training him. Minako glanced up at him from the corner of one eye, and if she smiled again, and if that smile was a little more serious than any of the others she'd given him today, he was willing to ignore it. "Stop sulking, Jed. You did just fine, and I'm hardly going to give up on you."

He hated it when she did that. Bad enough that she'd knocked him flat again—did she have to know what he was thinking, too? She read him so well that he sometimes wondered if she _could_ hear his thoughts. _I wouldn't be surprised, _he thought, annoyed. _She can do pretty much everything else. Why not this?_

And she was smiling openly now, as if she did, in fact, know exactly what he was thinking.

_Hate her, hate her, hate her…_

And, of course, he didn't.

They'd crossed into the camp by now, though Jed was a bit startled by that. He'd been too busy replaying the fight in his head to really notice where they were. He sighed, waving a few greetings to those they passed, narrowly avoiding getting trampled by an over-excited horse and then spinning instead into what that horse had so generously left behind.

Minako was laughing again, but then having Minako laugh at his expense was about as common as having the sun rise in the morning, and he'd long since stopped reacting. He only scowled and began looking for something to scrape off the mess on his boot, lost and regained his balance in the process, and then began to curse loudly as he noticed the second figure approaching. _Why does she always come when I'm doing something embarrassing?_

Minako stopped laughing and shot him a quick glance of warning—a glance that hadn't lost any of its amusement, for all that. "You know how she feels about swearing," she quietly reminded him before turning to the newcomer. "Hello, Raye."

The figure was close enough now that neither or them could miss her expression, and it wasn't pleasant. "It's about time," she snapped, her tone acerbic but still somehow beautiful.

_Like everything about her. _

Minako only smiled, not at all bothered by her friend's lack of welcome. Raye was always like this, after all. It didn't mean anything.

Jed wasn't quite so unresponsive. He swallowed tightly, naked longing in his gaze as the raven-haired healer came still closer. He'd been in love with Raye almost since the day he'd met her, though if she'd noticed—and Minako confidently assured him that she hadn't—she was choosing to ignore it. Come to that, she ignored _him, _too, most of the time.

She was ignoring him now, in fact. Her attention was entirely on the perpetually smiling Minako. "You said you'd be back hours ago."

Minako just shrugged, unrepentant and not at all daunted by Raye's glare. "Sorry," she muttered, not fooling anyone but not really trying very hard to do so. "We were on a role. Didn't want to stop." She glanced at her companion, still smiling. "Jed's gone and gotten too skilled for me," she added. "He almost beat me this time."

Jed felt heat rushing to his cheeks, though of course they all knew Minako was lying. He hadn't come even close to beating his golden-haired teacher, probably never would. Still, knowing _she _knew how he felt about Raye, it was nice of her to try and make him look good. _Not that it matters much. Raye doesn't see me. _

Indeed, Raye didn't seem to hear the compliment, and she certainly didn't seem to care. Her gaze remained focused on Mina, her mulberry eyes flat and unfriendly. "He's awake," she told her blonde friend, voice typically curt. "He's been asking for you." Her gaze finally flicked over to Jed, then back to Minako. "Both of you," she amended.

Jed's sigh echoed Minako's, all of the elation they'd felt during the fight evaporating as quickly as if it had never been. Neither of them really wanted to deal with this, not now. _I'd rather go back and eat more dirt,_ the big man thought tiredly. _It'd hurt less._

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He was an old man, frail and bent and pale. He was old enough that those who watched over him tended to wince whenever he moved, hearing his bones creak so loudly, seeing how little energy he really had for anything. They stayed with him anyway, of course, because he'd been too good a leader for too many years, and they loved him too much to walk away when he needed them.

Jed loved his old chief as much as anybody, looked on him as a father-figure and respected him just as much as he once had his blood father, but he was starting to hate these visits. Didn't help that they happened so rarely, now, as age continued to ravage the old man's body and he was asleep more often than not, as illness sapped the rest of his strength. He hated seeing how weak the chief had become, hated his own helplessness in the face of it. Hated the foreign stillness that would come to Minako whenever she was around him. Death was something any warrior understood, but a quiet Minako was so strange that her silence only made the situation so much worse.

Not that she stayed away. Not that either of them could.

Minako slipped inside the chief's darkened tent, immediately going on her knees beside the old man's deathbed, taking his hand in hers. She was smiling at him, but while her smile was warm, he knew her well enough by now to see the sorrow behind it. "It's about time you woke up," she told him, voice teasing but still too soft. "You're so lazy."

The old man smiled in return, but unlike Minako's, his smile was full and genuine. He knew he was dying—how could he not?—but at this stage in his life, death was a friend and welcome. "I think I'm entitled," he told her, voice wavering only a little with his weakness. He glanced over at Raye, who had come to stand next to Minako. "Besides," he added with a wink in the healer's direction, "if I'm lazy, it's only because _this one _hasn't let me do anything today."

Raye rolled her eyes, having heard this all too often already, but she still stepped aside so Jed could take her place. He knelt beside Minako, dwarfing his diminutive teacher even while on his knees, and taking the age-spotted hand she'd been holding. "Just ignore her," he told his chief, knowing he wasn't exactly endearing himself to Raye but not caring at the moment. "She's just your healer—she doesn't know anything."

The old chief smiled again, but he didn't answer. Their conversation, short as it had been, was proving too much for the man's strength, and sleep was fast claiming him. Jed frowned, not missing how ragged the man's breathing was, not missing the wet rattling in his chest. _That can't be a good thing. _He glanced up at Raye, not releasing the chief's hand, frown intensifying as she only looked away. From the way her lips had pursed tightly together, from the sudden clenching of her tiny hands, he knew she could hear it, as well. Knew she was aware of what it meant.

Minako was standing, now, her smiles completely erased. Her gaze was shadowed, her expression set. She caught each of their eyes for an instant, then motioned them out of the tent with a graceful jerk of her head. Jed slowly eased his hand from the chief's, cast one last look at the old man's peaceful, sleeping face, and then followed the two women into what was now the night air.

Minako led them only a short distance away, close enough that Raye would hear if one of the chief's attendants other called for her, far enough that nobody else could eavesdrop, at least not as long as they kept their voices down. Raye stood with slender arms crossed over her chest, a frown identical to Jed's marring her beautiful features. She completely ignored Jed, as always, focusing instead on Minako's equally unhappy features. "He has a few days at most—three, maybe four," she told her friend, knowing what Minako had planned to ask before the other girl had even opened her mouth. When the blonde didn't answer or even seem to hear her, she sighed and shook her head. "There's nothing you or I could have done, Minako," she murmured. "He's old and sick, and not even you can fight death. It's his time, nothing more or less."

Something dark flared in Minako's eyes, at that, though her expression never changed. It was gone before Jed could put words to whatever it was he'd seen, but he found himself feeling suddenly cold, as though some unrecognized warmth had died within him. He glanced at Raye, wondering if she'd seen it, too, but while he noticed how sharp her own eyes had suddenly become, she still wasn't looking at him.

Maybe he'd been imagining things, and maybe Minako had finally realized that he was staring at her, because she visibly shook herself, clearing her gaze of that sudden, unnerving heaviness. Her expression changed again, and now the only emotions he could read in her face were regret and grief and nothing else. Her lips twisted in a sad smile that somehow seemed false, and she nodded. "Then do what you can to make his passing easier, Raye," she gently commanded. "Jed and I will see to the rest."

Raye's dark head inclined downwards in a slight nod, her full lips parting as though she was about to say something else, but then her expression changed, her eyes becoming as shuttered as Minako's. She bit her lip, abruptly pulling her blonde friend away from Jed. The girl went willingly enough, though she cast an apologetic glance in the man's direction as they moved out of earshot. "That was subtle," she gently chastised the healer, voice deceptively light. "Are you _trying _to give us away?"

Raye scowled, dismissing Minako's concerns with a shake of her head. "Does it even matter?" she cut in, voice harsher than it should have been over a simple death. "Everything we came here for is slipping through our fingers. We've lost our chance."

Minako's expression was positively grim, but she only shook her head. "There's still the succession. We haven't lost all hope, Raye."

The healer snorted. "The succession? Are you serious? Even if the old man does stay lucid long enough to choose someone, what guarantee do we have that the new chief will support us?"

Minako shrugged. "We'll deal with that when the time comes, Raye," she answered quietly, "though I don't think that's going to be our biggest problem." She tilted her head to one side, slanting her eyes rather meaningfully in Jed's direction.

Raye picked up on the look, interpreted it correctly but only scowled harder. "Him?" Her lips thinned as she studied the man waiting so patiently for them. "Maybe," she finally conceded, "but that's still not a guarantee. Nothing is, with what we'll be asking."

"No," Minako agreed, "but we'll ask it anyway." She sighed. "I know what you're thinking, Raye, but we're out of time, and we're out of choices. We're going to need everybody we can get, if we want to win this thing. We _need _them."

"And if they still refuse us?"

Minako's answering smile was cold and hard. "Then we force them."

Raye's eyes were just as cold. "Force them to die for us? You know it'll come to that."

Minako was already turning away, but she paused long enough to give Raye the answer she already had. "Yes," she said. "To both."

**A.N.: And there you have it—the world's lamest cliffie! It really will pick up, people.**


	2. Getting Easier

**A.N.**: I know some of you were confused by the last chapter, but I promise that everything will make sense soon. And there _will _a fight scene in the next chapter! Just stick with me, people. Also, this is a MinakoXMalachite, RayeXJed fic. The others will be making appearances, but it'll be awhile (it'll be some time before Mal shows up, too, come to that.).

Oh, and I've finally gotten some forums up. They're still in the beginning stages, but check 'em out.

And thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. You're all amazing!!

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CHAPTER TWO: Getting Easier

Raye hadn't slept well, that night, and it was more than just her concerns for one dying old man that kept her awake. True, she'd come to care for Galin in the months since they'd met, and while she'd certainly be devastated when he finally passed on, this was hardly the first time she'd watched someone die. She'd lost so many, over the years, and the old chief would be just one more. Death simply couldn't hurt her as it once had.

Ah, but _that _was the problem, wasn't it? Death should never get _easier_. It should never hurt less simply because she'd seen it so often. If things continued as they were, would she eventually become so used to death that it wouldn't bother her at all? Raye was terrified of the possibility, because then she'd be no better than the enemies who'd caused all of this in the first place.

She sighed, knowing what Minako would say of such fears. _This is war, Raye, and people die in wars. We'll save as many as we can, but never forget why we're fighting. _

Minako certainly never did.

Of course, that was part of the problem, too. Minako had been fighting for a lot longer than anyone else, had given more and lost more, and sometimes Raye wondered if her leader had lost sight of everything but their cause. Raye knew the blonde protected those she could, but when the need arose, Minako also never hesitated to sacrifice everything and everyone around her. As long as they won, in the end, Minako didn't always care who got hurt along the way.

_Minako sighed. "I know what you're thinking, Raye, but we're out of time, and we're out of choices. We're going to need everybody we can get, if we want to win this thing. We _need _them."_

"_And if they still refuse us?"_

_Minako's answering smile was cold and hard. "Then we force them."_

_Raye's eyes were just as cold. "Force them to die for us? You know it'll come to that."_

_Minako was already turning away, but she paused long enough to give Raye the answer she already had. "Yes," she said. "To both."_

It hadn't been the answer Raye had wanted, though it'd been the one she'd come to expect. _This is war, _she often reminded herself during that sleepless night. _No matter how much Minako's attitude scares me, I have to believe that she won't sacrifice anyone needlessly. I have to trust her. _

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Dawn came, the thin light of the rising sun stealing over the desert camp. Minako was already awake to greet it, just as she had been nearly every day for the past one thousand years. She sat, legs crossed and fingers interlaced, in the field where she and Jed had dueled only the day before. Her eyes were closed, her head cocked as she listened to the trilling of a single bird. _It's so peaceful here, _she silently mused._ If only…_

She killed that thought before it could take root, but she couldn't help the slightly wistful smile that curled her lips. It had been so long since she'd been somewhere she could relax, somewhere she could feel even an echo of the peace she'd once known, but she knew better than to dwell on it. _The might-have-been's are dangerous, _she'd decided long since, _and after everything I've done, this is probably the only life I deserve, anyway._

She sighed, finally opening her eyes. The sun was a little higher, now, though she still couldn't feel its warmth. _Time to go back. _She stood, brushing bits of wet grass and earth from her clothing, and then began the trek back to the camp.

She wasn't the only one awake, by this time, and she waved a little absently at those she passed, choosing not to linger for small talk or pleasantries. She'd never really gotten to know most of the tribesmen, and in any case, she was more concerned with finding Raye. They had so little time left, and she couldn't afford to waste even a moment of it.

She found Raye inside the chief's tent, just as she'd known she would. The chief was lying, pallid and sweating, on one of the thick rugs that passed for beds among this people. Galin was covered with several heavy blankets, as well, but Minako could see how badly his teeth were chattering. His entire body was shaking, in fact, though she couldn't decide if the trembling was more from cold or from pain. Raye was crouched beside him, one pale hand clutching his and the other pressed against the side of his wrinkled face. Her eyes were closed, her jaw clenched.

_A healing trance, _Minako slowly realized. _Is it really so bad as that? _

She grimaced, knowing Raye was channeling her own life energy into the old man, trying to keep him alive until his body could heal itself. This kind of thing was usually only a last resort, and she knew it would drain the mulberry-eyed senshi in turn. _Why would she pursue something so dangerous? He's going to die no matter what she does, and this won't accomplish anything at all. Doesn't she realize that he's too far gone?_

Minako's scowl deepened with every moment that dragged by. She cared for Galin, but her own feelings and her own plans aside, she'd been a leader for too long to ignore the consequences of Raye's actions. _It's needed, this time, but she doesn't know that. She's acting on impulse, taking unacceptable risks. I won't always be around to protect her, and she has to understand that. _

Raye, of course, was too deeply embedded in the trance to notice Minako's disapproval. Still, after a few more moments had passed, Minako could see that the old man's breathing had eased. He'd settled into a restless sleep, and Raye finally pulled her hand from his cheek. Her eyes opened, the flawless skin on her forehead unwrinkling. She turned, bringing weary eyes to meet Minako's.

Minako frowned, noting the lines around Raye's mouth, seeing the exhaustion there. She checked the reproach she'd wanted to give, deciding the words could wait for a time when Raye wasn't half-dead herself. "How long has he been like this?" she asked instead, wondering just how much she'd have to adjust her plans this time. _I hadn't realized the disease had gotten this far, _she thought tiredly. _We might have even less time than Raye thought…and that's not good, because my Plan B kinda sucks. _

Raye ran a tired hand over her equally tired face. "The tremors started some time before dawn, and his fever skyrocketed shortly after that," the healer finally answered, voice quiet. She glanced over her shoulder at Galin's prone form, wincing slightly. "At this rate," she added, "he won't live longer than two days."

Minako nodded, though her frown had deepened. _Two days? That changes everything. _"Will he be lucid until the end?"

Raye's eyes darkened. "Is this about the succession?"

Minako sighed, shook her head. "No," she answered truthfully. "It isn't." _It's about not having him recognize me when I kill him._

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Raye had been every bit as drained as Minako had feared, and when her golden-haired leader told her to get some rest, she didn't protest too much. She only shrugged, waved a brief farewell to her friend, and then headed off to her own tent.

Raye had expected Minako to be gone by the time she returned a few short hours later, and she was. The blonde had always been incapable of staying in one place for more than an hour or so, and she'd only gotten worse in the centuries since Selenity's murder. _Not that I blame her, _Raye thought as she went to check on the old chief. _If I'd spent the last ten centuries running from assassins and traitors and who knows what else, I'd be jumpy, too. _

Still, Raye had noticed that Minako was acting…odd, lately, even for her. Her laughter had always been slightly false, but there'd been less of it, these past few days. She seemed more distracted than usual, as well, and she was a lot quieter than she should have been. Something was very obviously weighing on her mind, distracting her…and that made Raye very, very nervous. Anything bad enough to distract Minako, after all, was probably bad enough to get people killed. _What isn't Minako telling me? Doesn't she trust me enough to let me share the danger?_

Raye sighed as she entered Galin's tent, her mind still so caught up in Minako's strangeness that she failed to notice the big man crouched at the foot of Galin's bed. She'd tripped over him before she'd even registered his presence, and if she'd been a little more human, she probably would have landed in a graceless sprawl on top of him. As it was, even her too-swift reflexes would not have saved her from falling had Jed's hands not also immediately come to her waist to steady her.

Raye's eyes flew to his, her body immediately tensing under his touch, and his own expression was blank enough to make even the secretive Minako proud. His hands tightened briefly around her waist, but he pulled away the instant she was stable again.

She stared at him for a moment, knowing she should thank him for preserving her dignity but also realizing she'd only feel more awkward if she did. Raye wasn't used to feeling uncomfortable around anyone, especially men, and so she only frowned and stepped away. "How long have you been here?"

He shrugged. "Long enough."

His voice had been carefully neutral, but Raye's frown only deepened. "I see." She glanced over at the old man, the frown suddenly in her eyes, as well. "Has he woken up at all?"

"No." He looked up at her, concern suddenly sharpening his gaze. "Is that normal?"

She watched Galin for a long moment, making certain he was sound asleep before she answered. "Yes," she admitted, "though it's not a good sign." She grimaced, meeting Jed's gaze and not liking the pain she found there. _I can't hide it from him, not now, _she thought tiredly. _Besides, if there's any chance that Minako's right about the succession, he should know this. _

Jed was still watching her. "What aren't you telling me, Raye?"

She stopped hesitating. "I hadn't realized how far his disease had progressed," she admitted softly. "He's out of time, Jed."

He nodded, mouth tightening. "How long does he have left, then? Weeks? Days?"

Even if this wasn't really her job, she'd come to hate this part of it. "Hours. Before tomorrow night."

Jed paled, naked anguish replacing the concern.

Raye bit her lip, finding herself wishing she could offer the man some kind of comfort. Jed might have been a warrior, after all, but his people had never faced death on the scale she had. What did he really know about it? Still, he obviously loved the old man, and that would make the news hurt all the more. She knew what it was like to lose a parent, knew how great that kind of loss was. _Though even that was on a different scale than this. Jed's losing a father, but I lost everyone. _

She frowned again, suddenly appalled by her own thoughts. _Does that even matter right now? I'm dismissing his loss because it's not as bad as what the senshi have gone through. I don't have the right to do that. _She was still frowning as she settled herself beside him, close enough that he could reach out and touch her, but not so close that it would happen accidentally. "I'm sorry, Jed. I truly am."

Words seemed so inadequate, and she hadn't expected him to react to the platitude, no matter how sincerely she'd offered it. She was a little surprised, then, when, without looking at her, he nodded. "I know," he said.

The words were so heavy, so bent with grief, that when he reached out and took her smaller hand in his, it never even occurred to her to pull away.

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When Raye asked, hours later, where Minako had gone, the blonde only shrugged and refused to answer. Raye didn't push it—Minako had that distant look in her eyes again, and that told Raye a great deal. _Something is going to happen, _she realized, _and whatever it is, Minako plans to deal with it on her own. Without me, just like always._

The thought might have been bitter, had anyone but Minako been involved. While Raye knew her friend and leader took too much responsibility on herself, there truly were some things that only she could do. Minako had always been a little different from the other senshi, but that was precisely why they followed her. Raye doubted that anyone else could have led the rebellion for so long, and if Minako felt that this danger was best dealt with on her own, Raye could accept that.

Still, she hated not knowing what was going on.

She took only a little comfort in the fact that Minako immediately went to see Galin upon her return. Minako's expression had been free of any emotion when she'd returned, but as she stood over the still-sleeping Galin, her features hardened, just a little. She looked…angry, and that made Raye uneasy. What could Galin have done to make Minako look so fierce, or had it even been Galin at all?

Galin hadn't spent any real amount of time awake since the healing, and neither Minako nor Raye felt too bad about leaving the old man long enough to track Jed down. With so little time left before the succession, they had to make certain Jed would be on their side.

They found him in what they'd all come to consider Minako's field, his legs crossed beneath him as he sat in the middle of the field. His hands were resting, motionless, on his thighs, his shaggy hair twisting a little in the wind. His back was to them, and he must not have heard them approach, because he jumped the instant Minako laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. He spun, lurching to his feet, and only then did Raye notice the lines around his mouth and eyes. Her heart went out to him, and she might have tried to comfort him again, but she knew this wasn't the time for it.

Minako gave him a faint, slightly sad smile, gesturing for the big man to sit again. He did, curious even through his grief. "What is it?"

Minako's smile faded, but the war had made her rather blunt, and she didn't hesitate. "I know this is the last thing you want to think about, Jed," she began quietly as she and Raye followed him to the ground, "but we have to talk about the succession."

He frowned at her, clearly not understanding. "What about it? I don't have any say in that, Minako. You know I don't."

"No," she agreed, "I know that. Still, I've heard the talk, Jed. There's a very good chance that you'll be the next leader, and if you are chosen, we'll need your help."

He looked surprised and uncomfortable at that little revelation, and Raye couldn't blame him. How would she have felt, if someone had approached her like this? _I'd feel used,_ she decided instantly, _and I'd fight whatever it was just for the principle of it. We're lucky Minako has such a silver tongue, then…and we're lucky Jed is more trusting than I am. _

"Help with what?"

Minako's eyes had become calculating as she watched Jed, and Raye knew she was deciding how much she should tell him. They'd been so careful, these past few centuries, to keep their natures a secret, but Minako wasn't above using the truth to awe people into submission. She'd done it before, and Raye thought she was about to do it again. "Do you know what we are, Jed?"

_I knew it. She's such a drama queen. _

Confusion had set in, and he only shook his head.

_Of course he doesn't. _She sighed and looked rather impatiently at her blonde friend. "Stop being so melodramatic, Minako," she muttered, "and just explain—"

The words had started out every bit as acerbic as Raye could make them, but long before Raye could finish, she'd realized they'd fallen on deaf ears. Minako had stiffened, her face suddenly becoming a trifle more pale even as her eyes narrowed. Something dark and angry crossed over her features, and as she shot to her feet, she began cursing.

Raye, too, paled. _It has to be the enemy. It has to be…but why didn't I sense it? _

Jed was glancing back and forth between the two women, a question in his gaze. "What's wrong?"

Minako didn't even look at him. "Get back to your people, Jed," she snapped, lyrical voice now so brittle with rage that Jed never questioned the order. Then..."Don't bother taking prisoners."

Something clicked in Jed's eyes, and Minako's fury was suddenly reflected in his own face. "Who?" he demanded, voice harsh. "Who would attack us?"

Neither of them answered. Minako seemed to have forgotten he was even there, and Raye was dutifully ignoring him. The healer was staring at her leader, mulberry eyes darker than usual. "Are they hers?"

Minako's snort seemed as out of place as she usually did. "You know they are." She turned to her companion, her nod another command. Then, without so much as a final glance in Jed's direction, she and Raye began to run…


End file.
